The Broken Road
by LissaMarie
Summary: Jesscentric. PreJessOC. Still, Jess knew that even at this point, if the truth were to come out, it wouldn’t matter how much he had done to turn his life around.


Title: The Broken Road

Author: Melissa

Email: Through season six, I suppose.

Summary: _Still, Jess knew that even at this point, if the truth were to come out, it wouldn't matter how much he had done to turn his life around._

Disclaimer: Nothing you recognize belongs to me. Anything you don't does. The title was inspired by the Rascal Flatts song, "God Bless the Broken Road" (if that is even the right title for that song).

Author's Note: This is a totally random thought that came to me. I really should be sleeping since I have class in 6 ½ hours, but I made the mistake of drinking a turbo coffee at Burger King earlier…Needless to say, I'm wired. If this sucks, blame the caffeine. And also, for anyone not familiar with the term, a row-home is like a townhouse (I think). I'm from Philly, and we called what I lived in a row-home.

He'd actually done it.

Jess Mariano, high school drop-out and overall disappointment to those who cared about him, had actually put his mind to something and accomplished it. He could hear the pride and satisfaction in his uncle's voice when he called to tell him that he had gotten his GED and was attending classes at the Community College of Philadelphia. It had taken him days after that conversation to pick up the phone again to call his mother with the same news for fear that something she would say would crush that tiny bit of self-confidence his uncle had unknowingly given him with his gruff and mostly implied praise. His mother had surprised him with her enthusiasm as she made him tell her everything about his classes and his new job at a small publishing house, and he had only been able to hang up the phone after promising to call more regularly.

Still, Jess knew that even at this point, if the truth were to come out, it wouldn't matter how much he had done to turn his life around. Everyone would still see him as the screw-up they all had known he would become.

It wouldn't matter that he had stopped smoking or that he had not a sip of alcohol since before he relocated from New York to South Philadelphia. The fact that he had a well-kept row-home that was _his very own_ would be brushed aside. His near-perfect grades in college would be ignored.

All that would matter is that he messed up.

But what others may see as a mistake was the best thing that could have possibly happened to this aimless young man. He finally had a purpose. There was a new sense of purpose burning within him that he was still just getting use to.

Upon arriving home, Jess pulled himself from his disheartening thoughts and hurried the short distance from his car to the front door. After fighting with the lock - which he reminded himself again to replace - he made his way through the living room nearly tripping over a haphazardly dropped handbag and hastily discarded heels. He rolled his eyes and put his messenger bag on the dining room table and threw his jacket over the back of the nearest chair. Once done taking a peek into the kitchen to make sure there wasn't too much of a mess left on the counter, he made his way back to the stairs careful to avoid the deathtraps that had been laid out for him.

As quietly as he could manage on the creaky floorboards, he walked past his office and approached the corner bedroom. The door was cracked open only a few inches, but he could clearly see the figure sprawled out fast asleep on the futon against the back wall. His smirk turned to a soft half-smile when his eyes drifted down to the small figure lying on her chest safely enveloped in her arms. Hating to disturb the picturesque scene but knowing the pain sleeping on the old futon brought, Jess eased the door open. As it had many times before, the low creak of the door hinge woke the woman who blinked to clear her vision.

"Hey," she whispered her voice thick with sleep. "How was work?"

Reverting back to his teenage year, Jess responded with a shrug. He carefully lifted the slumbering child from her chest to allow the woman to sit up. "So, how was she?"

"A perfect little angel, as always," she replied touching the toddlers arm affectionately. She stood up from the futon and stretched cringing as multiple pops were audible.

Feeling a bit uncomfortable, Jess went on. "I'm looking for something more permanent for when I'm at work, but it's been difficult with my hours. I really appreciate you staying with her."

"It's no problem. I've told you that. We're friends. Friends help one another out." Her response was quiet and heartfelt.

With her eyes locked on his, he felt something he hadn't felt in several years. A warmth went through his entire body as he murmured her name, "Lena."

Something about hearing her name spoken in that tone snapped the woman out of her trance, and she took a step back and said with a smirk, "And if dare try to offer me money for spending time with your kid again, I'm gonna have to kick your ass. I grew up with 5 brothers bigger than you, and I assure you I can."

The tension in the room now lessened a bit, Jess smirked back. "Wouldn't want that, now would I?"

Lena gave his a playful push as she walked past him to go downstairs. She felt him follow with his daughter still out cold in his arms. She closed her eyes for a second and took a deep breath while climbing down the steps. The three seconds it took her to reach the bottom was not nearly long enough to clear her head.

"There's some of mom's famous lasagna in the fridge," she told him in her best buddy-buddy tone. "She made enough of it to feed a small country last night when I went over for dinner. Didn't offer me any leftovers but gave me an entire casserole dish to bring over here. I think she likes you more than me."

Falling into the game they played several times before, he shot back. "Well, who could blame her?"

Lena rolled her eyes and smoothed down her unruly dark hair. Picking up the shoes and purse she had left on the floor, she turned back to him with a more serious expression. "You know if you need anything, I'm right next door."

"I know."

Jess, having learned his manners, walked her to the door and waited for her to get inside her home before locking up. He looked down at his little girl only mildly surprised to see her gazing silently at him with her big brown eyes. The soft half-smile that was for her alone came back to his lips, and he found himself thinking that even with the complications she brought into his life, she really was what he named her.

_Angelina._

That's It.

A/N: So, did it suck horribly? How can I make it better? This fic was just a random thought that I would like to improve upon. Maybe I can do a prequel or sequel if people want me to. Let me know…


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